Cardinals Have Clinched NL Central
St. Louis has checked a number of things off their list this week. First Albert Pujols hit his 699th and 700th HRs in an 11-0 win over the Dodgers on Friday, joining Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds as the only other players to do so. The Redbirds reached another goal on Tuesday, as their 6-2 win over Milwaukee clinched the NL Central for STL.
Now Milwaukee has things to accomplish heading into the Cardinals vs Brewers Wednesday matchup. The Brew Crew is trying to chase down the third and final wild card spot in the NL, but they’re still 1.5 GB from the Phillies. Philadelphia has lost 7 of their last 10 but Milwaukee still hasn’t been able to catch them. The good news is that the Brewers finish out the year with 7 more home games after the Cardinals series while the Phillies are on the road the rest of the season.
What Milwaukee is really hoping for in the Cardinals vs Brewers Wednesday meeting is that St. Louis gears down a bit after their clinching win. The Redbirds have already clinched the season series, up 10-8 on the year going into the finale, and they can’t catch either Atlanta/New York or the Dodgers for the top two seeds in the NL.
The pitching matchup of the season finale between these two teams is Jose Quintana (6-6, 3.03 ERA) against Brandon Woodruff (12-4, 3.18 ERA). That’s a solid duel which is why the offshore sportsbooks have set the total at just 7. St. Louis has won 9 of Quintana’s last 10 starts and Milwaukee 7 of Woodruff’s last 9.
| Offshore Sportsbook | Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | Cardinals (+137)| Brewers (-148) | 7 | Cardinals +1.5 (-170) | Brewers -1.5 (+150) |
| Bovada | Cardinals (+126)| Brewers (-150) | 7 | Cardinals +1.5 (-175) | Brewers -1.5 (+150) |
| BetUS | Cardinals (+135)| Brewers (-150) | 7 | Cardinals +1.5 (-175) | Brewers -1.5 (+155) |
| SportsBetting.ag | Cardinals (+137)| Brewers (-148) | 7 | Cardinals +1.5 (-170) | Brewers -1.5 (+150) |
| Pinnacle | Cardinals (+140)| Brewers (-152) | 7 | Cardinals +1.5 (-163) | Brewers -1.5 (+147) |
| MyBookie | Cardinals (+127)| Brewers (-148) | 7 | Cardinals +1.5 (-161) | Brewers -1.5 (+137) |
Cardinals vs Brewers Wednesday Summary
The big question here is how much celebrating did St. Louis do on Tuesday after clinching the division and how much do they subsequently rest veterans like Pujols, Paul Goldschmidt, and Nolan Arenado to get ready for the playoff grind? Milwaukee has 7 games remaining against the Marlins and Diamondbacks – winnable games – as they try to catch the wild card, but a win on Wednesday would be a great momentum booster.
